Back in the 2001 NFL season, a 15-year-old Cory Schneider watched a similar situation unfold with his beloved New England Patriots.

The Patriots started that season with Drew Bledsoe as their quarterback. A four-time Pro Bowler, Bledsoe led the Pats to the ‘97 Super Bowl before losing to Green Bay but could never quite get his team over the hump. Prior to 2001, he also signed a 10-year, $103-million contract.

Let’s see. Respected veteran, Couldn’t quite deliver the goods. Big contract. Last name ends in a vowel. We trust you can draw the parallel here.

Bledsoe was also seriously injured in the second game of 2001, creating an opportunity for the Pats’ young backup, a kid out of Michigan named Tom Brady. Brady, of course, led the Pats to a Super Bowl victory over St. Louis in New Orleans and that offseason – note, OFFSEASON - Bledsoe was traded to Buffalo.

“I remember that,” Schneider said on Wednesday, as the Canucks were preparing for the Calgary Flames.

But does he remember, calling the local phone-in shows, demanding the Patriots start Bledsoe or trade Bledsoe or start Brady or trade Brady?

“No,” he said. “I was a Patriots’ fans but I was a Brady fan when it ended.”

And, maybe, his own soap opera will end the same way.

Wednesday night, Schneider, whose awkward job share with Roberto Luongo has made a bit of news locally, rebounded from a nightmarish outing on opening night to deliver a rock-solid performance against the Calgary Flames in a 3-2 Canucks’ shootout win.

Schneider stopped 34 of 36, including two goal-line stands off wild scrambles, then punctuated his night’s work by stopping four of five in the shootout as the Canucks earned a much-needed two points.

“It was a bit of everything,” Schneider said of the difference between Wednesday night and his abbreviated stint on Saturday night against the Ducks.

“Better timing, seeing more pucks, getting into a better rhythm. It’s only a half-inch that can make you look real bad in this league. Once you start feeling good it can make a world of difference.”

Of the shootout, when he stopped the Flames’ Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak with the game on the line, Schneider said: “I was excited for the shootout. I enjoy them. I have a lot of confidence in our shooters. It’s fun when you have to make a save it keep it going. That’s an opportunity I relish.”

In addition to delivering the Canucks’ first win of the early season, Schneider’s performance also camouflaged another troubling performance by the home team.

Through the game’s first 31 minutes, the Canucks held a 2-0 lead while outshooting the Flames 25-10. Dan Hamhuis then gave Tanguay a little too much time and space and the Flames’ sharpshooter beat Schneider with a clinical wrister off the post.

From that point, the Canucks looked lost. They were outshot 27-11 over the next 34 minutes. They produced one shot in overtime and got nothing out of a late third period power play.

This game didn’t exactly erase the faithful’s concerns about their team, but at least the Canucks took something other than a lot of angst from their homestand.

“By no means was it the perfect game but we gutted it out at home and got an important win before we head out on the road,” said Schneider.

As for the intrigue over the Canucks’ goaltending situation, Schneider said before the game he’s fine with all the attention.

“It is what it is,” he said. “I dealt with it as the backup. It doesn’t matter if it’s three of you [in the media] or 13 of you.”

It was suggested to Schneider he could lessen the strain by writing down five answers to the predictable questions, tape them to his wrist and use them on a rotating basis.

He liked that idea.

“I can just flip through my quarterback’s playbook,” he said.

Which would be just like his guy Brady. At the end of this, after all, you sense Canucks’ fans would like to become Schneider fans.

ewilles@theprovince.com